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Vesuvius, also called Mount Vesuvius or Italian Vesuvio, is an active volcano that rises above the Bay of Naples on the plain of Campania in southern Italy.

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Vesuvius, active volcano that rises above the Bay of Naples on the plain of Campania in southern Italy. Its western base rests almost upon the bay. The height of the cone in 2013 was 4,203 feet (1,281 metres), but it varies considerably after each major eruption. At about 1,968 feet (about 600 metres), a high semicircular ridge, called Mount Somma, begins, girding the cone on the north and rising to 3,714 feet (1,132 metres). Between Mount Somma and the cone is the Valle del Gigante (Giant's Valley). At the summit of the cone is a large crater about 1,000 feet (about 305 metres) deep and 2,000 feet (about 610 metres) across; it was formed in the eruption of 1944. More than two million people live in the vicinity of Vesuvius and on its lower slopes. There are industrial towns along the coast of the Bay of Naples and small agricultural centres on the northern slopes.

Vesuvius probably originated somewhat less than 200,000 years ago. Although a relatively young volcano, Vesuvius had been dormant for centuries before the great eruption of 79 ce that buried the cities of Pompeii, Oplontis, and Stabiae under ashes and lapilli and the city of Herculaneum under a mudflow. The writer Pliny the Younger, who was staying at a place west of Naples, gave an excellent account of the catastrophe in two letters to the historian Tacitus. Between the years 79 and 1037, several eruptions were reported, which include those occurring in 203, 472, 512, 685, 787, 968, 991, 999, and 1007. The explosions of 512 were so severe that Theodoric the Goth released the people living on the slopes of Vesuvius from payment of taxes.

After some centuries of quiescence, a series of earthquakes, lasting six months and gradually increasing in violence, preceded a major eruption that took place on December 16, 1631. Many villages on the slopes of the volcano were destroyed, about 3,000 people were killed, the lava flow reached the sea, and the skies were darkened for days. After 1631 there was a change in the eruptive character of the volcano, and activity became continuous. Two stages could be observed: quiescent and eruptive. During the quiescent stage the volcano's mouth would be obstructed, whereas in the eruptive stage it would be almost continuously open.

Between 1660 and 1944 several of these cycles were observed. Severe paroxysmal (suddenly recurring) eruptions, concluding an eruptive stage, occurred in 1660, 1682, 1694, 1698, 1707, 1737, 1760, 1767, 1779, 1794, 1822, 1834, 1839, 1850, 1855, 1861, 1868, 1872, 1906, 1929, and 1944. The eruptive stages varied in length from 6 months to 30 3 / 4 years. The quiescent stages varied from 18 months to 7 1 / 2 years.

Scientific study of the volcano did not begin until late in the 18th century. An observatory was opened in 1845 at 1,995 feet (608 metres), and in the 20th century numerous stations were set up at various heights for making volcanologic measurements. A large laboratory and a deep tunnel for seismo-gravimetric measurements were also built.

The slopes of Vesuvius are covered with vineyards and orchards, and the wine grown there is known as Lacrima Christi (Latin for "tears of Christ"); in ancient Pompeii the wine jars were frequently marked with the name Vesuvinum. Higher up, the mountain is covered with copses of oak and chestnut, and on the northern side along the slopes of Mount Somma the woods proceed to the very summit. On the western side the chestnut groves give way above 2,000 feet to undulating plateaus covered with broom, where the crater left by the great eruption of the year 79 ce has been filled in. Still higher, on the slopes of the great cone and on the inner slope of Mount Somma, the surface is almost barren; during quiescent periods it is covered by tufts of meadow plants.

The soil is very fertile, and in the long period of inactivity before the eruption of 1631 there were forests in the crater and three lakes from which pasturing herds drank. Vegetation on the slope dies off during eruptive periods because of the volcanic gases. After the eruption of 1906, forests were planted on the slopes in order to protect inhabited places from the flows of mud that usually occur after violent eruptions, and in the fertile soil the trees grew rapidly.

In 73 bce the gladiator Spartacus was besieged by the praetor Gaius Claudius Glaber on the barren summit of Mount Somma, which was then a wide, flat depression walled by rugged rocks festooned with wild vines. He escaped by twisting ropes of vine branches and descending through unguarded fissures in the rim. Some paintings excavated in Pompeii and Herculaneum represent the mountain as it looked before the eruption of 79 ce, when it had only one peak.

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Mount Vesuvius (Vesuvio), active volcano near Naples, Italy, famous for its eruption in 79 CE that destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii, Stabiae, and Herculaneum. Scientific study of the volcano began in the late 18th century. Read here to learn more about Mount Vesuvius.

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What’s the most recent eruption of Vesuvius and will it erupt again?

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What’s the most recent eruption of Vesuvius and will it erupt again?

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Vesuvius has erupted about three dozen times since 79 A.D., most recently from 1913-1944. The 1913-1944 eruption is thought to be the end of an eruptive cycle that began in 1631. It has not erupted since then, but Vesuvius is an active volcano , it will erupt again.

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What's the most recent eruption of Vesuvius and will it erupt again? | Volcano World | Oregon State University

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Volcanologists now refer to sustained explosive eruptions which generate high-altitude eruption columns and blanket large areas with as eruptions. It is estimated that at times during the eruption the column of ash was 20 miles (32 km) tall. About 1 cubic mi (4 cubic km) of ash was erupted in about 19 hours.

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What year was mount Vesuvius deadliest eruption and What happened to the people who were capchered in the eruption??

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What year was mount Vesuvius deadliest eruption and What happened to the people who were capchered in the eruption??

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Mount Vesuvius destroyed the city of Pompeii, a city south of Rome, in A.D. 79 in about 25 hours, according to History. Bodies preserved in ash at Pompeii.

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Mount Vesuvius, on the west coast of Italy, is the only active volcano on mainland Europe. It is best known because of the eruption in A.D. 79 that destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, but Vesuvius has erupted more than 50 times.

Mount Vesuvius facts

Vesuvius in 2013 was 4,203 feet (1,281 meters) tall. After each eruption, the size of the cone changes, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The volcano also has a semicircular ridge called Mount Somma that rises to 3,714 feet (1,132 m). The valley between the cone and Mount Somma is called Valle del Gigante or Giant's Valley.

Mount Vesuvius is considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of its proximity to the city of Naples and the surrounding towns on the nearby slopes.

The volcano is classed as a complex stratovolcano because its eruptions typically involve explosive eruptions as well as pyroclastic flows. A pyroclastic flow is a high-density mix of hot lava blocks, pumice, ash and volcanic gas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Vesuvius and other Italian volcanoes, such as Campi Flegrei and Stromboli, are part of the Campanian volcanic arc. The Campanian arc sits on a tectonic boundary where the African plate is being subducted beneath the Eurasian plate.

Under Vesuvius, scientists have detected a tear in the African plate. This "slab window" allows heat from the Earth's mantle layer to melt the rock of the African plate building up pressure that causes violent explosive eruptions. In the past, Mount Vesuvius has had a roughly 20-year eruption cycle, but the last serious eruption was in 1944.

Pompeii

Mount Vesuvius destroyed the city of Pompeii, a city south of Rome, in A.D. 79 in about 25 hours, according to History. Because the city was buried so quickly by volcanic ash, the site is a well-preserved snapshot of life in a Roman city. There is also a detailed account of the disaster recorded by Pliny the Younger, who interviewed survivors and recorded events in a letter to his friend Tacitus. [ Related: Pompeii 'Wall Posts' Reveal Ancient Social Networks]

(Image credit: deepblue-photographer Shutterstock)

Pompeii was established in 600 B.C. and was slowly recovering from a major earthquake that rocked the city in February of A.D. 62. The shallow quake, originating beneath Mount Vesuvius, had caused major damage to the springs and piping that provided the city's water. Reconstruction was being carried out on several temples and public buildings. Seneca, a historian, recorded that the quakes lasted for several days and also heavily damaged the town of Herculaneum and did minor damage to the city of Naples before subsiding. The major quake was followed by several minor shakes throughout the following years. [ Image Gallery: Pompeii's Toilets]

Because seismic activity was so common in the area, citizens paid little attention in early August of 79 when several quakes shook the earth beneath Herculaneum and Pompeii. People were unprepared for the explosion that took place shortly after noon on the 24th of August. Around 2,000 residents survived the first blast.

(Image credit: Alessandro Colle Shutterstock)

Pliny the Elder, a Roman author, described the massive debris cloud. "It resembled a (Mediterranean) pine more than any other tree. Like a very high tree the cloud went high and expanded in different branches ... sometimes white, sometimes dark and stained by the sustained sand and ashes." In Pompeii, ash blocked the sun by 1 p.m. and the people tried to clear heavy ash from rooftops as it fell at a rate of about 6 inches (15 centimeters) an hour. [ Image Gallery: Preserved Pompeii - Photos Reveal City in Ash]

Shortly after midnight, a wall of volcanic mud engulfed the town of Herculaneum, obliterating the town as its citizens fled toward Pompeii. About 6:30 a.m. on the following morning, a glowing cloud of volcanic gases and debris rolled down Vesuvius' slopes and enveloped the city of Pompeii. Most victims died instantly as the superheated air burned their lungs and contracted their muscles, leaving the bodies in a semi-curled position to be quickly buried in ash and thus preserved in detail for hundreds of years.

Far away in Misenum, approximately 13 miles (21 kilometers) from Pompeii, Pliny the Younger, the 18-year-old nephew of Pliny the Elder, and his mother joined other refugees escaping the earthquakes rocking their city. They observed, "the sea retreating as if pushed by the earthquakes." This was probably caused by a tsunami at the climax of the eruption, which gives us the time frame for historical record. Pliny writes of "black and horrible clouds, broken by sinuous shapes of flaming wind." He describes people wheezing and gasping because of that wind; the same wind that doomed the people of Pompeii.

It is believed that around 30,000 people died from the eruption of Vesuvius in 79.

WWII eruption

On March 17, 1944, a two-week-long eruption began with lava from the summit of Mount Vesuvius. In an article by Life Magazine, Giuseppe Imbo, director of the Mt. Vesuvius Observatory, is quoted as saying, "A marvelous thing, my Vesuvius. It covers land with precious ash that makes the earth fertile and grapes grow, and wine. That's why, after every eruption, people rebuild their homes on the slopes of the volcano. That is why they call the slopes of Vesuvius the compania felix - the happy land."

During the eruption, soldiers and airmen of the 340th Bomber Group were stationed at the Pompeii Airfield just a few miles from the base of the volcano. Diaries record the awesome sights and sounds they witnessed in this latest major eruption. Guards wore leather jackets and "steel pot" helmets to protect themselves from rains of hot ash and small rocks. Tents collapsed or caught fire when hot cinders were blown over them.

Sgt. Robert F. McRae wrote in his diary on March 20, 1944, according to the American Geosciences Institute, "As I sit in my tent ... I can hear at four- to 10-second intervals the loud rumbling of the volcano on the third day of its present eruption. The noise is like that of bowling balls slapping into the pins on a giant bowling alley. To look above the mountain tonight, one would think that the world was on fire. The thickly clouded sky glows like that above a huge forest fire. Glowing brighter as new spouts of flame and lava are spewn from the crater. As the clouds pass from across the top of the mountain, the flame and lava can be seen shooting high into the sky to spill over the sides and run in red streams down the slopes. ... Today it is estimated that a path of molten lava 1 mile long, half a mile wide, and 8 feet deep is rolling down the mountain. Towns on the slopes are preparing to evacuate. Our location is, apparently, safe. At any rate no one here, civilian or Army authorities, seems too much worried. Lava has not started to flow down this side of the mountain as yet but is flowing on the other side toward Naples."

On March 22, they were forced to evacuate, leaving behind 88 Allied aircraft. After the volcano subsided, they returned on the 30th to find the planes were a total loss. Engines were clogged by ash, control panels were useless tangles of fused wire, canopies had holes from flying rock or were etched to opacity by wind driven ash.

One airman of the 489th Bomber Squadron complained in his diary when Axis Sally broadcast a radio show dedicated to the "survivors" of the Vesuvius eruption (actually the most severe human casualty was a wrist sprained during the evacuation). She told all of Europe that "Colonel Vesuvius" had destroyed all of them. The diarist was justifiably proud of the work he did with his fellows in recovery. By April 15, the planes had been replaced and the 340th Bomber Group was back to full strength and ready to fly missions from their new base.

Though no soldiers were killed, 26 Italian civilians died and nearly 12,000 were displaced by the 1944 eruption, according to the American Geosciences Institute.

Current status

Since 1944, there have been hundreds of minor earthquakes in the region around Mount Vesuvius. The most serious earthquake rocked Naples in October 1999. The magnitude-3.6 quake was felt as far as 15 miles (24 km) from the base of the volcano and was of the same magnitude as a quake that occurred 17 years prior to the last truly major explosion that devastated Naples in 1631.

In 2016, excavations on the outskirts of Pompeii revealed more victims of the volcanic eruption. Archaeologists discovered the remains of four people, including one teenage girl, in the ruins of a shop, according to a statement from the Soprintendenza Pompei, the Italian authority in charge of managing the ancient site.
Additional reporting by Alina Bradford, Live Science contributor Additional resources

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Mount Vesuvius & Pompeii: Facts & History

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Mount Vesuvius, on the west coast of Italy, is the only active volcano on mainland Europe. It is best known because of the eruption in A.D. 79 that destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, but Vesuvius has erupted more than 50 times. Vesuvius in 2013 was 4,203 feet (1,281 meters) tall.

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When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, Pompeii, a small settlement at the base of the volcano, was instantly buried in ash and soot. The ash preserved the town and its people, turning Pompeii into a virtual time capsule of ancient Italian life. Pompeii is essentially a life-size museum, offering a window into the past unlike any other.

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When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, Pompeii, a small settlement at the base of the volcano, was instantly buried in ash and soot. The ash preserved the town and its people, turning Pompeii into a virtual time capsule of ancient Italian life. Pompeii is essentially a life-size museum, offering a window into the past unlike any other.

Pompeii Before The Eruption (600 BC - 79 AD)

Pompeii is located in the region of Campania in the province of Naples, situated along Italy's southwestern coast. The settlement grew rapidly during the 7th century BC because the area was a crossroads connecting the ancient cities of Cumae, Stabiae and Nola. Its primary agricultural products were wine and oil, and it was also an important seaport, handling goods imported for distribution in Rome and the surrounding areas.

During its existence, Pompeii was under the control of several governments. Originally, its residents were descended from a line of people who spoke Oscan, an Italic language in the same family as Latin. Despite being captured by the Greeks, Etruscans, and later the Romans, the people of Pompeii managed to retain their language and their local government. Pompeii remained loyal to Rome until 91 BC, at which point Rome sent in generals and other military officials to quell the rebellion. Pompeii would not survive to see officials to quell the rebellion. Pompeii would not survive to see how the shifting tensions with Rome played out.

Vesuvius Erupts (79 AD)

Mount Vesuvius is recognized as one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes. Surprisingly, several million people currently live in its path, obviously willing to tempt fate by defying the volcano's capacity for destruction. Vesuvius has erupted dozens of times throughout history, the most recent being in 1944.

But the eruption that destroyed Pompeii was by far the most powerful, not to mention the most famous. Simultaneously destroying the city and preserving it, the eruption killed anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 people in Pompeii and the neighboring towns of Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata. Residents fled toward the coast in an attempt to escape the volcano's lava, and approximately ten feet of ash and rock buried the city in its entirety. As well as preserving wall paintings, jars and other artifacts, the lava captured people sitting at tables or frozen in their final act as living beings. The event was recorded by an eyewitness, the historian Pliny the Younger, who lost his uncle, Pliny the Elder, during an attempt to rescue survivors.

Rediscovering Pompeii (1599 to 1961)

The ruins of Pompeii were first discovered by workmen in 1599, but it wasn't until 1874 that the Bourbon rulers of southern Italy instigated a serious campaign to uncover the site. Following increased activity in 1806-1815, excavation was sporadic until the unification of Italy in 1861, at which point it once again became a methodical operation.

In 1863, an important development occurred on the site. When his workers informed the director that they'd discovered bones inside several cavities, he ordered them to stop work and arranged for a mixture of plaster and water to be poured into the holes. When the plaster dried and was removed, it revealed the clearly defined forms of four dead bodies, even capturing the expressions on their faces. From that point on, a large number of plaster casts were made of the Pompeii victims. [Please press the small grey arrow at the bottom of the window to start.]

1924-1961 was a period of intense activity, followed by a scaling down in later years as the emphasis moved towards preserving the exposed ruins. In 1997 UNESCO added Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata to its listing of World Heritage sites.

Present Day Pompeii
Today, visitors come from all areas of the globe to view Pompeii's remains. Despite being 2,000 years old, the streets and buildings give a sharp picture of what life was like many centuries ago.

Highlights of Pompeii include several large houses belonging to merchants and other important residents - the House of the Vetii and the House of the Fawn are the most well known. Many of the houses and buildings in ancient Pompeii feature stunning frescoes on their walls and ceilings. The public marketplace remains intact, as well as a large ancient amphitheater built into the side of a hill. The streets of Pompeii are the original Roman stone, complete with grooves worn by wheeled carts that were used to carry goods. In addition to the artifacts displayed in the city itself, many of the more valuable pieces are on display in the nearby National Museum in Naples.

Here's a short (3-minute) video of Pompeii that speaks far more eloquently than words...

If you'd like to learn more about Pompeii, the following books and DVDs are a good starting point:

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Pompeii - The Eruption Of Vesuvius And Its Aftermath

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When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, Pompeii, a small settlement at the base of the volcano, was instantly buried in ash and soot. The ash preserved the town and its people, turning Pompeii into a virtual time capsule of ancient Italian life.

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When Mount Vesuvius erupted cataclysmically in the summer of A.D. 79, the nearby Roman town of Pompeii was buried under several feet of ash and rock. The ruined city remained frozen in time until it was discovered by a surveying engineer in 1748.

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On a fateful summer morning in A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius buried the vibrant Roman city of Pompeii-and many of its citizens-beneath tons of volcanic ash and debris.

"Darkness fell, not the dark of a moonless or cloudy night, but as if the lamp had been put out in a dark room," wrote Pliny the Younger, who witnessed the cataclysm from across the Bay of Naples.

The darkness Pliny described drew the final curtain on an era in Pompeii. But the disaster also preserved a slice of Roman life. The buildings, art, artifacts, and bodies forever frozen offer a unique window on the ancient world.

Since its rediscovery in the mid-18th century, the site has hosted a tireless succession of treasure hunters and archaeologists.

"Pompeii as an archaeological site is the longest continually excavated site in the world," says Steven Ellis, a classics professor at the University of Cincinnati and the co-director of the Pompeii Archaeological Research Project: Porta Stabia.

"Because of this, what we find in Pompeii is that every step in the development in the science of archaeology was tested out in Pompeii-with mixed results," he says.

For early archaeologists, the disaster of the city's final days was the primary draw, unearthing buildings and streets as they stood at the time of the eruption.

"Today we are interested in the development of the city," Ellis explains. "What was there first and how did it get to the point it was when it was destroyed?"

Ellis's team is particularly interested in a corner of the city near the Porta Stabia gate that is a bit off the beaten archaeological path.

"It's kind of a lost neighborhood of the city. When they first cleared it of debris in the 1870s, they left this block for ruin (because it had no large villas) and it was covered over with a terrible jungle of vegetation," he says.

Much research has centered on public buildings and breathtaking villas that portray the artistic and opulent lifestyle enjoyed by the city's wealthy elite.

"We're trying to see how the other 98 percent of people lived in Pompeii," Ellis says. "It's a humble town block with houses, shops, and all the bits and pieces that make up the life of an ancient city."

But while his quest is knowledge of the living Pompeii, Stanford University's Gary Devore, the project's co-director, notes that the eruption still resonates because of the intimate connection it created between past and present.

"We're digging in an area where a lot of Pompeians died during the eruption," he says. "I remind myself all the time that I can investigate in such detail this ancient Roman culture as a direct result of a great human disaster.

"At the end of a day of intense mental processing and physical labor, when the tools are being packed up and put away for the night, I often take a moment to remind myself of that connection with the individuals whose homes and workshops we're digging up," he says.

Preserving Pompeii's Past for the Future

Even after hundreds of years of work, about a third of the city still lies buried. Yet there is no rush to unearth these hidden Pompeii neighborhoods.

Today's great challenge is preservation of what has been uncovered.

Volcanic ash long protected Pompeii, but much of it has now been exposed to the elements for many years. The combined wear of weather, pollution, and tourists has created a real danger of losing much of what was luckily found preserved.

Yet Devore is hopeful for Pompeii's future.

"The current administration of Pompeii [under Pietro Giovanni Guzzo] has been incredibly diligent in focusing on preservation," he says.

Over his 13 seasons at Pompeii, Devore has witnessed great improvements in conservation and preservation of the priceless site.

"As an archaeologist, I'm part of that process in the way that I document what gets dug out of the ground," he adds. "Since archaeology is destruction, we destroy bits of Pompeii as we go along. So it's incredibly important that we record in great detail, with the ability to recreate what we've taken away afterward. That's how we're part of the conservation of Pompeii."

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Archaeologists Investigate Ancient Roman Life Preserved at Pompeii

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On a fateful summer morning in A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius buried the vibrant Roman city of Pompeii-and many of its citizens-beneath tons of volcanic ash and debris. "Darkness fell, not the dark of a moonless or cloudy night, but as if the lamp had been put out in a dark room," wrote Pliny the Younger, who witnessed the cataclysm from across the Bay of Naples.

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what the people look like that were capchered.

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what the people look like that were capchered.

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Stock Photo - Pompeii Italy ruins of ancient city after the destruction by eruption of Mount Vesuvius volcano. Man in ash, art and pottery

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Download this stock image: Pompeii Italy ruins of ancient city after the destruction by eruption of Mount Vesuvius volcano. Man in ash, art and pottery. - C60DEG from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.

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Deconstructing History: Pompeii Video - Pompeii - HISTORY.com

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It was nearly wiped out during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. What is left of this ancient city and will Vesuvius erupt again? Uncover the lost city of Pompeii.

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This is how it looked rolling down the mountin but faster

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This is how it looked rolling down the mountin but faster

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What happened to the people who stayed behind?

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What happened to the people who stayed behind?

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""Around midnight, the first of four searing-hot clouds of ash, rock, and toxic gas (also called surges) rushed down the volcano. Traveling toward Pompeii at about 180 miles an hour, the surge scorched everything in its path. Around 7 a.m., nearly 19 hours after the initial eruption, the city was completely covered in a deadly mix of ash and rock.

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A deafening boom roars through Pompeii's crowded marketplace. The ground shakes violently, throwing midday shoppers off balance and toppling stands of fish and meat. People scream and point toward Mount Vesuvius, a massive volcano that rises above them.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Pompeii was a bustling city located in what is now southern Italy. But in the summer of A.D. 79, the nearby Mount Vesuvius volcano erupted. It spewed smoke and toxic gas 20 miles into the air, which soon spread to the town. Almost overnight, Pompeii-and many of its 10,000 residents-vanished under a blanket of ash.

Pompeii was basically lost and forgotten until it was rediscovered in 1748. Thanks to excavations, which are still going on today, scientists have been able to figure out almost exactly what happened on that terrible day.

THE SKY IS FALLING

After the volcano first erupted shortly after noon, the thick ash turned everything black-people couldn't even see the sun. Some residents escaped the city, while others took shelter in their homes. But the ash kept falling. Piles grew as deep as nine feet in some places, blocking doorways and caving in roofs.

Around midnight, the first of four searing-hot clouds of ash, rock, and toxic gas (also called surges) rushed down the volcano. Traveling toward Pompeii at about 180 miles an hour, the surge scorched everything in its path. Around 7 a.m., nearly 19 hours after the initial eruption, the city was completely covered in a deadly mix of ash and rock.

LOST AND FOUND

Visiting the ruins of Pompeii is like going back in time. The layers of ash actually helped preserve buildings, artwork, and even the forms of bodies as they decomposed and left holes in the ash. All that allowed experts to fill in the details that might not have survived at many other Roman sites.

Based on what they uncovered, scientists believe that Pompeii was a prosperous town popular with wealthy vacationing Romans. Well-paved streets had high sidewalks and stepping-stones to keep pedestrians out of the mud. To relax, people soaked in public baths, watched gladiators or chariot races at an amphitheater, and enjoyed plays in two theaters.

Pompeii may be ancient history, but scientists are pretty sure Mount Vesuvius is overdue for another major explosion. Luckily the people living near the volcano today will likely receive evacuation warnings before it blows.

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A deafening boom roars through Pompeii's crowded marketplace. The ground shakes violently, throwing midday shoppers off balance and toppling stands of fish and meat. People scream and point toward Mount Vesuvius, a massive volcano that rises above them. Nearly 2,000 years ago, Pompeii was a bustling city located in what is now southern Italy.

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"Today, the excavation of Pompeii has been going on for almost three centuries, and scholars and tourists remain just as fascinated by the city’s eerie ruins as they were in the 18th century."

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Mount Vesuvius, a volcano near the Bay of Naples in Italy, has erupted more than 50 times. Its most famous eruption took place in the year 79 A.D., when the